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Harvard United Nations simulations
Harvard University runs Model United Nations simulations at both the high school and college-level. The college-level simulations include a national-level simulation and a world-level simulation. Harvard National Model United Nations Harvard National Model United Nations or HNMUN is the longest running college-level Model United Nations simulation in the world and among the largest in the United States. HNMUN is an annual four day event held in February, composed of over two thousand university students from many countries, although the majority are American. Although HNMUN is run by Harvard students, it remains operationally detached from the school. It is held almost exclusively at the prestigious Boston Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Boston and not at Harvard, across the river in Cambridge, except for some committee meetings. This past year, the University of Pennsylvania MUN team won HNMUN. History HNMUN was first run in 1955, ten years after the formation of the real United Nations. Logistics HNMUN is host to about 3000 university students from over 30 countries and so requires a large amount of planning by the Harvard students hosting the event. Planning for the following year's conference starts as soon as the current one ends. Topics for debate must be chosen early so that study guides may be prepared and delegates may research their topics. The hotel conference rooms must be booked well in advance and packages for the delegates are printed a week before the conference. Although most of the work at the conference is done by the delegates, the staff must work out the technical operations of the conference. The Secretariat consists of the top-level officers of Harvard National Model United Nations who oversee all branches and activities of the conference. The Secretary-General of HNMUN 2008 is Roxanne C. Krystalli, and her Secretariat includes Paul P. Linden-Retek (Director-General), Marissa L. Long (Administration), Lekha R. Tummalapalli (Business), Ritambhara Kumar (Delegate Relations), Diane B. de Gramont (Finance), Louis K. Kang (General Assembly), Spenta P. Kutar (Economic and Social Council), and Andrew L. Fleeter (Specialized Agencies).www.hnmun.org Committee Structure Model UNs follow the general structure of the UN but for logistical and educational reasons, the structure differs somewhat. HNMUN's structure is similar to most Model UNs but there are a few important differences. * Only one resolution may be passed on each topic. This is meant to stress consensus and compromise between delegates. This is achieved by the fact that: * Resolutions cannot be sponsored * There are no "friendly" or "hostile" amendments, as there are no sponsors with whom to confer Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) is the most diverse college-level Model United Nations conference in the world. This year, more than 1,670 college students from 42 countries attended WorldMUN in Geneva, Switzerland. WorldMUN 2008 will be held in Puebla, Mexico from March 24-March 28, 2008 and will be co-hosted with the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). There will twenty-one committee sessions including simulations of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and a meeting of the Indian Cabinet set in 1946. WorldMUN is held in a different location around the world each year so as to allow delegates to truly immerse themselves in an international experience; past locations include Beijing, China; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The conference lasts one week in March and combines committee sessions during the day with nightly social events. The events provide delegates with an amazing way to experience the host-country and to learn from students from around the world. WorldMUN operates within a unique paradigm as it combines the students of Harvard College as directors of committee sessions with students from the host school in order to run the conference. It seeks to truly create an international leadership that fosters a level of diversity in thought that exists at no other Model UN conference. Committee sessions simulate the issues that are discussed within the General Assembly (GA), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Specialized Agencies (SA) of the United Nations. Delegates spend committee sessions debating and discussing the topics, ultimately seeking to conclude the session by authoring a collaborative and comprehensive resolution that addresses the issues that had been mentioned in the study guide which was drafted by the director prior to the conference. WorldMUN is unique with respect to all other Model UN conferences because the "spirit of WorldMUN" extends beyond just the committee sessions themselves. WorldMUN begins with Global Village, an event exclusive to WorldMUN where delegates are encouraged to share the food and culture of their country with all of the other delegates in attendance. Cabaret, another event that occurs during the week, is one the most popular WorldMUN events where delegations perform a dance, skit, or other cultural celebration that informs other WorldMUN participants about their country's culture or heritage. WorldMUN 2006 was held in Beijing, China, hosted by Peking University. Over 1,500 students attended from 35 countries making it the largest and most diverse WorldMUN ever. WorldMUN 2007 was held in Geneva, Switzerland from March 26-30. It was co-hosted by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne with the Harvard team. Over 1670 students from 42 countries attended the conference; once again, making it the largest and most diverse WorldMUN ever. WorldMUN is open to all individuals who are enrolled in a university, both undergraduate and graduate students. Delegates have the option of representing a university as a delegation, or applying as individual delegates.www.worldmun.org Harvard Model United Nations — high school-level Harvard Model United Nations is one of the oldest UN simulations in the world. It developed from the earlier simulation of the League of Nations which was started at Harvard in the 1920s. Hosting several thousand high school delegates each year, HMUN is in its 55th session. It is staffed by nearly 180 Harvard undergraduates. In 2007, the conference will be held in the Boston Sheraton Hotel. The conference simulates the committees of the General Assembly, various committees of the Economic and Social Council and runs numerous specialized simulations of other political and diplomatic bodies.www.harvardmun.org The Dalton School has won best large delegation awards for the past two years. External links * HNMUN site * Official site *World MUN Site Category:Youth